


Normal

by rose_griffes



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Child Abuse, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 18:26:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15846888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rose_griffes/pseuds/rose_griffes
Summary: Double drabble - how Max sees Lucas and his family, how she sees her own.





	Normal

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to my tumblr shortly after watching season two.

The first time Billy grabbed her arm hard enough to leave a bruise was the day after Mom told Neil that he couldn’t touch her. 

The Hargrove men tag-teamed their hits. 

Not that Billy actually hit her. Grabbed her, broke her skateboard “accidentally” so that Mom couldn’t be mad, stood over her so she had to go around him, called her a bitch when Mom and Neil weren’t around…

Mom didn’t notice the bruise on her upper arm, and Max didn’t think this was at the ‘call Dad’ level of reinforcement. She was saving that for--someday. Sometime when it really mattered.

(Max doesn’t know if Dad really would come get her if she called, but she likes to think so. And it’s enough of an unspoken threat to keep Neil from touching her, just the way Mom had used it.) 

It doesn’t take her long to figure out that Lucas and his family are Normals. He complains about his sister, he complains about his parents, but he’s not afraid. Not really. 

Normal. 

She stuffs down the envy when she goes to his house, and lets herself breathe in the tiny squabbles, big hugs, and lipstick marks left on her cheek.


End file.
